Security Integrator Supports Local Community During COVID through GSA MAS Contract

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Reprinted with permission from ICU Technologies, a ClearCoast client. This blog post was originally posted by Team ICU on Jul 9, 2020 9:26:30 AM.

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Lake Tahoe Community College’s (LTCC’s) leadership recently executed a plan to provide the community with a COVID Surge overflow hospital but transitioned to being one of only two COVID testing facilities in El Dorado County. Here is how it happened:

LTCC’s Superintendent/President, Jeff DeFranco was quick to recognize the challenges posed by the COVID crisis. Anticipating the need to support the Lake Tahoe community, DeFranco agreed to use part of the LTCC campus as an overflow hospital in the event the local hospital was overwhelmed with patients. Thankfully, the community was quick to protect themselves against the virus and a hospital surge location was not necessary. The work to prepare for hospital overflow, however, was not wasted. A new need arose – finding a suitable COVID testing facility.

LTCC’s Al Frangione, who oversees the college’s facilities and security, was assigned as the Incident Commander for the college. Frangione explained that DeFranco was “all in, to make sure the hospital overflow concept was a success.”  Frangione quickly went to work, defining the necessary space, people, and materials. Frangione explained:

“One key component which is evident in any healthcare setting is security. Access control coupled with video monitoring of access points, perimeter and common spaces is a core responsibility which cannot be overlooked.”

Frangione reached out to ICU Technologies, LTCC’s preferred security integrator, to get an initial design. He explained, “I’ve worked with ICU in the past and am familiar with their GSA/CMAS contract process which cuts through the red tape and makes purchasing and installation as streamlined as possible — especially in an emergency.” He added, “In uncertain times, some companies might up their pricing, but partnering with companies like ICU, which are GSA/CMAS contract holders, protects us as the pricing schedule is in place prior to the emergency and has been approved as being legal, reasonable, and competitive.” An initial assessment led to a decision to install nine public safety cameras and electronic access control to monitor doors at the exterior entrances.

Within a few weeks, the fears about patient overload passed and El Dorado County officials recognized the need for a suitable testing location. Frangione explained, “Since Lake Tahoe Community College was mission-ready, we were selected as one of two county facilities for this critically important work.” The testing location required high levels of security for patients, testing staff, equipment, and to effectively control the security of the samples themselves. To date, 2,800 people have been tested. Details about testing can be found at: https://www.edcgov.us/Government/hhsa/Pages/EDCCOVID-19-Get-A-Test.aspx

ICU’s CEO, Brian Van Norman, said, “we’re happy to support LTCC in this critically important public health undertaking.” He added, “We applaud LTCC Superintendent/President Jeff Defranco’s vision and forward-thinking response.” Van Norman continued by explaining, “We are proud our company has the ability to quickly respond to meet community needs through our well established industry relationships, with manufacturer partners like Motorola-Avigilon, and our large subcontractor network that spans the Western States.”

Public sector leaders with security related issues should contact ICU Technologies at: icu-techinc.com

Opportunities for GSA MAS Contractors in the Time of COVID-19

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President Donald Trump signed into law Friday afternoon, March 27, 2020 a historic $2 trillion stimulus package as the American public and the US economy fight the devastating spread of COVID-19.

The far-reaching legislation stands as the largest emergency aid package in US history. The $2 trillion federal stimulus bill also includes $340 billion (in addition to the $150 billion) in emergency supplemental funding of which more than 80 percent ($274 billion) will go directly to states and localities, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Here is a breakdown of some of the key funding streams that are either directly related to technology or may incorporate technology as an allowable expense:

  • $400 million for elections security
  • $25 million for distance learning, telemedicine and broadband for rural communities
  • $850 million to states and localities through the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) for public safety and criminal justice agencies
  • $200 million for telehealth for the FCC to support healthcare providers
  • $9.1 million to protect critical infrastructure from Department of Homeland Security
  • $500 million for public health data surveillance and infrastructure modernization for state and local public health
  • $1.5 billion in state and local preparedness grants from FEMA
  • $13.5 billion in formula funding for K-12 districts to meet immediate needs and improve use of ed tech $5 billion in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to provide states and localities with the resources to serve their constituents
  • $4 billion in homeless assistance grants to address the homeless population during COVID-19
  • $1.5 billion in grants for economic development for communities suffering due to COVID-19

What does this mean for government contractors?

It means opportunities. Plain and simple. Government contractors are playing and will continue to play a critical role in supporting government decision makers with their immediate, near-term and long-term response requirements.

As a result of COVID-19, federal and state governments have a sudden and unanticipated need for more goods and services.  Some of those goods and services are highly specialized and specific to COVID-19.  FEMA has published a list of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and critical supplies needed at this time along with their contact information.

But governments also have an increased and urgent need to buy otherwise-routine goods and services that have become newly critical in the wake of COVID-19.

All of this means that there are and will be procurements where speed is the priority, and where there is no time for the normal pace and cadence of the procurement process and contract formation.  It also means that resources necessarily will get taken away from routine procurement tasks and reallocated to urgent matters.

If you are a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) holder this is great news as you are eligible to provide needed supplies and services to State and Local agencies during this crisis. The GSA MAS is specifically designed to address emergencies and government leaders are being encouraged to work with pre-approved vendors through the GSA MAS Disaster and Recovery Program. Purchase thresholds have even been increased to allow for greater and immediate procurement flexibility.

Be a Strategic Partner and Problem Solver.

This is not the time for cold calls. C-level government decision makers need trusted partners and proven solutions which can address their immediate needs including:

  • Rapidly deploying telework and remote work for state and local agencies
  • Securing this new mobile workforce and protecting existing assets
  • Expanding the number of digital services to serve constituents and businesses
  • Everything that directly supports the COVID-19 response

Technology is playing a critical role in the coordination and response of state and local government agencies to COVID-19. Get with your government customers. Ask them how you can help. Tell them you are a GSA MAS contract holder. And then muster your resources, creativity and solutions to be a leader during this time of crisis.

Things are moving fast. We will continue to monitor as best we can and keep you updated.

Other Helpful Resources for Greater Insight

GSA MAS Consolidation

GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Consolidation: Are You Prepared?

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On October 1, 2019 GSA released the new Consolidated Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation designed to replace the current structure of the GSA Schedules program. By consolidating the existing 24 individual schedules into one Schedule, GSA will eliminate the need for industry to deal with multiple schedules contracts, multiple contracting officers and multiple sets of terms and conditions. This initiative is part of the continued effort by the federal government to streamline the acquisition of products and services.

This is excellent news for government and industry alike. However, as an existing or new GSA contract holder are you ready?

ClearCoast, with 30+ years government acquisition experience, has helped hundreds of clients secure and maintain their GSA Schedule contracts.  We now stand ready to assist you in this transition process in which GSA has consolidated 24 GSA Contracts into a new Consolidated MAS consisting of 12 large categories (see below), 83 subcategories and 316 Special Item Numbers (SINs) which now closely align to the North American Industry Classification (NAICS) codes.

What do I need to do to prepare for this transition?

GSA is implementing this Consolidation in three Phases. ClearCoast has highlighted action items for new and existing GSA Contractors to address during each phase.

Phase 1 (2019 – January 2020) – This was the largest phase and is now complete. GSA reviewed all terms and conditions across schedules, isolating the terms and conditions for all vendors and what were very specific to a category or subcategory. Also reviewed was SIN duplication and overlap. The result was deletion of 160 clauses and a reduction of 900 legacy SINs to 300 SINs now mapped to NAICS codes. It’s important to note that the VA Schedules were not part of this consolidated initiative to modernize federal acquisition into a single GSA Schedule.

ACTION ITEMS:

New Contractors: If seeking to submit an offer for the new Consolidated MAS contract you must apply based on the solicitation requirements released on October 1, 2019. Please see the following link for a roadmap of what is required to prepare for your submission.

www.gsa.gov/mascategoryrequirements

Existing Contractors: Now is the time to address housekeeping items related to your current contract before GSA issues a mass modification Refresh #1 (end of January 2020) for accepting the new requirements for the Consolidated MAS. Your contract number will not change but there will be changes to your SINs. GSA will now reference your schedule based on the large categories as listed above and will not refer to the Schedules by number (i.e., Schedule 70, Schedule 84, etc.) going forward.

To prepare for this mass modification in 2 weeks:

  • Close out all outstanding mass modifications
  • Submit and finalize any e-mods before accepting the Refresh #1 mass mod
  • Current SAM system is migrating to beta.SAM. Create a new user account at https://beta.sam.gov/. Upon creating a new account you will be able to migrate existing SAM information to the new beta.SAM.
  • Ensure your NAICS codes are all updated. GSA will use the preponderance NAICS code to determine your size status on the new consolidated contract.
  • Begin to update your current text file to change legacy SINs to new SINs (ClearCoast can help you map your legacy SINs to the new SINs to update your text file). Upon acceptance of the Refresh #1 mass mod it will then be uploaded to elibrary.
  • Review changes to the Maximum Order Threshold to determine impact to your new SINs (ClearCoast can assist you with this determination)

Phase 2 (Feb – July) GSA will issue a mass modification Refresh #1 at the end of January 2020 to all existing vendors holding a single GSA schedule contract.  This Mass Mod will migrate contractors to the new terms and conditions under their new Consolidated MAS contract, keeping the same contract number, existing task orders and BPA’s.  Contractors will have until July 31, 2020 to accept this mass mod.

ACTION ITEMS:

  1. Prior to accepting this mass mod, existing contractors should ensure that all action items listed in Phase I are complete. In addition, if an e-mod to add a NEW SIN under the legacy SINs was submitted in January, existing contractors should wait until that modification is approved prior to signing the mass modification.
  2. When responding to the mass mod, you will be presented with each clause in the consolidated Schedule and will be able to either accept the clause or request an exception to the clause. So it’s important to read through the Mass Mod in detail.
  3. GSA will be conducting online training for mass mod Refresh #1 so look for the announcement to your email box.
  4. If you have not done so, be sure to join GSA Interact for all the latest information, training sessions and helpful guidance related to the Consolidated MAS  https://interact.gsa.gov/
  5. GSA will be taking care of the eMod, eBuy, eLibrary, SIP and GSA Advantage systems to ensure that after acceptance of the mass mod Refresh #1 all legacy SINs will be converted to the new SINs for existing GSA Contractors within these online systems.

Phase 2 (March-April) – For GSA vendors seeking to add SINs that were previously on separate schedules, GSA will accept eMods for this request. For example, a contractor under the Information Technology Category may seek to add SINs under the Security and Protection category to offer a more comprehensive solution to their customers.

Phase 3 (July – November) – The GSA FAS Program Management Office (PMO) will begin working with those contractors that hold multiple schedule vehicles. The PMO will initiate the consolidation of these schedules by sending an email to set a one-on-one meeting to discuss contractor objectives and develop a consolidation plan. This process will be in accordance with the number of schedules vehicles involved and where those schedules are in their life cycle.  Once this plan is developed the contractor and, if needed the PMO, will communicate with all GSA Contracting personnel to accomplish the consolidation.

ACTION ITEMS:

Existing Contractors: If you are an existing contractor holding multiple schedules be sure to bring all schedules up to date via eMod. Decide which contract makes up the greatest portion of sales which will become the primary contract. GSA will then migrate all other contracts to this primary contract and cancel the others through a formal modification. All discounts will be maintained during the migration process. The PCO for your new single contract will receive copies of all contract mods for the contract to be maintained going forward.

What impact will the Consolidated MAS Contract have to the TDR Reporting program?

If one item on your contract is currently classified as a TDR SIN then the entire contract becomes a TDR contract under the new Consolidated MAS Contract.

Will the Cooperative Purchasing Program open up under the new SINs?

At this time, the Cooperative Purchasing Program will apply only to those SINs offered through the Information Technology and Security and Protection categories (legacy Schedule 70 and Schedule 84).

For further information or clarifications, contact Denise Buczek at denise@clearcoastusa.com or at 310.633.7620.

View this blog as a PDF here.

Your GSA Contract Just Increased in Value!

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There are major changes happening at a higher level regarding helping the government buy smarter. The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) new policy memo on Category Management makes it an integral part of the government for the foreseeable future. It’s a 30-page document which provides detailed instructions/requirements for agencies to move in this direction regarding all future purchasing to increase efficiency, reduce costs, minimize redundancies and deliver more value.

What does this mean to you?

Your GSA Schedule contract just increased in value! In a nutshell, category management includes a classification system of “Best In Class” (BIC) contract vehicles which agencies will be directed to use for all product/service procurements. The GSA Schedules program is already approved as a Tier 2 BIC contract vehicle. This gives extra credibility and weighted value to this procurement vehicle. When a contracting officer is presented with a choice of a multitude of vehicles and they are now mandated to use a BIC vehicle – your GSA contract becomes more relevant as the chosen path.

OMB is working to educate agencies and your customers on this new policy for making purchases. Your sales team should use the slip sheet below with customers to make them aware of this initiative and to spread the word. It’s another way to promote your GSA Schedule contract as the preferred choice for government customers to buy from you.

category-mgmt-policy-slipsheet-march-2019

 

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GSA Schedule Holder – Are You an OLM Participant?

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If you are a GSA Schedule holder and are not familiar with the term OLM ‘Order Level Materials’ – you need to be!

GSA, as part of their efforts to deliver best value commercial solutions to government agencies through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program enacted the OLM rule earlier this year. It’s one of many initiatives that GSA is undertaking to bring flexibility to government buyers, streamline the procurement process, expand business opportunities for schedule holders and promote innovation.

What are OLMs?

  • Supplies or services acquired in direct support of task or delivery order placed against a Schedule contract or Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) (no more than 33.33% of the order, excluding travel costs).
  • The type and quantity of supplies or services are not known at the time of Schedule contract or BPA award.
  • Prices of OLMs are not established at the Schedule contract or BPA level.

OLMs are a game changer for all! There are numerous benefits to both the Schedule contract holders (Industry Partners) and the customer ordering agencies.

Benefits to Contract Holders and Customer Agencies

GSA has created flexibility for Schedule Contract holders by allowing the sale of supplies and or services not approved on the contract. This opens doors to compete for more orders and removes entry barriers to the marketplace, particularly for small businesses. Now you can offer a comprehensive listing of products and services without having to go through a formal ‘add’ modification process to your contract.

For customer agencies, OLMs reduce administrative and transaction costs relative to contract duplication and the need for additional contracts for ancillary work respectively. Ordering agencies still have to make a fair and reasonable price determination for all OLMs but its accomplished through a more effective and streamlined approval process.

In adding this capability to the schedule contracts, OLMs not only improve the ability to position the Schedules as the commercial, best value contract vehicle; it also has a great impact across the entire MAS program to deliver best value to the American people. For schedule holders and customer agencies alike, this is a win-win proposition.

Implementing OLMs – Get Up to Speed

As you prepare for 2019, now is the time to get up to speed on the mechanisms that will benefit your bottom line and save time and money. OLMs are one such step forward for GSA and Industry Partners. There are guidelines associated with OLM participation with which you should be familiar. Please take the time to attend a GSA offered webinar or visit their website for more information.

GSA is offering a webinar on December 20, 2018 from 10:00pm-12:00pm EST titled, “GSA/FAS Order Level Materials (OLM) Briefing for Industry Partners”. This session will provide training on the new Order Level Materials GSAR rule. For webinar details click here.

In addition, you can visit GSA’s Order-Level Materials home page at www.gsa.gov/olm  for ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ and the most up-to-date information on this initiative.

Still have questions?  We’re here to help. Please contact us at denise@clearcoastusa.com.

 

 

government fiscal year 2019 playbook

What’s in Your Gov 2019 Playbook?

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Now is the time to create a winning game plan.

It’s the start of a new government fiscal year…a new season to get your game plan together if you haven’t already begun to do so for FY2019. What strategies are in your playbook for increasing business within the government? Is your sales team equipped with all the resources, knowledge and offensive and defensive tactics to move forward? In short, will you be ready to score when opportunity and timing come together?

A favorite Charles Schulz cartoon of mine is one in which Lucy is holding a football for Charlie Brown to kick. Just as Charlie brings his leg forward Lucy pulls the ball away and Charlie falls to the ground. Poor Charlie Brown. If only he knew what he didn’t know.

Building a strong team requires a leader (coach) who can help players (sales team) realize what is possible. Now is the time to decide what that game plan will look like and with a strong coach craft your FY2019 government game plan.

What worked for your company in FY2018? What didn’t work? Are there new products/services your company is introducing to the government market? How are you planning to market and sell these items to your targeted government customers? Are you qualified on at least one government contract vehicle like the GSA Schedule or CMAS contract to help facilitate an easy procurement? Have you identified the barriers to entry or competition in your industry that are preventing you from advancing the game ball?

As a sales team, you must play both offense and defense. Pick up the intensity now and make up your mind that this is the year to push your limits. Go on the offense:

1. Educate yourself on your customer. What matters most to them? What are their pain points? Build a better relationship with them so when it’s time for you to shine on that RFQ or RFP – your customers cheer for you.

2. Build your plan and work it daily. How are you spending every minute of your day as a dedicated sales pro? Identify your daily priorities. Ask yourself is every action contributing to your quantitative sales goals? Do you need to better understand how your customers buy? Are you clear on the value of what your products and services provide? Not the features but the value!

3. Understand and use the tools at your disposal. What are your teammates doing to help improve their tactics? Are you plugged into the daily online digests of the government world which keep you abreast of the latest and greatest? Operating in a vacuum is not a good tactic. How are you identifying opportunities or getting the inside track on early forecasts from agencies? Are you qualified on pre-approved contract vehicles and do you understand how to leverage these contracts to win business?

While offensive moves are aimed at scoring points off opportunities created from a favorable field position, one would be remiss in ignoring the aggressive defense stance which a sales team must embrace as well. Go on the defense:

1. Don’t be afraid of transformation. Category Management (CM). Best-in-Class (BIC) Solutions. Spend Under Management (SUM). If these terms are not familiar to you now – they should be as Federal Acquisition practices continue to improve to create a more innovative, efficient, and effective acquisition system. There is a strong focus on transforming the government marketplace to create a new model for Federal contracting. Get with the program and understand how this transformation will impact your B2G strategies.

2. Pick up the intensity on a winning attitude. Each day you should value your effort as an individual, a team and a company as an accomplishment or a failure. As this season evolves, don’t have an attitude that all you must do is survive, “I’m not equipped to lead”, or “all I have to do is excel at my position.” The team is too important to let any of these attitudes cripple it. Don’t let yourself begin to thing from a singular viewpoint, teams win, individuals don’t.

3. Bring in the Special Team. It’s not the most exciting part of working with the government, but a contract consultant can be extremely valuable in making the difference between winning and losing. A good “Special Team” has an in-depth knowledge of the government marketplace, how to help position a company for success, and how to obtain or qualify a company for value-added contract vehicles to streamline the buying process. They are your subject matter experts and can help you get the job done when you need them most.

So, for this season (FY2019) set the bar high. Do not accept mediocrity within yourself or your teammates. The government needs industry like you more than ever. Believe it and you will find yourself dancing in the end zone. Now go make it happen.

CMAS

No Time to Wait: Building Safer Communities through GSA and CMAS

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Tragic incidents by active shooters at K-12 schools are solidly in the crosshairs of law enforcement, politicians, the public and security focused companies with smart technologies for detection, surveillance and protection of assets. It is on everyone’s mind and everyone has an opinion of what can be done, should be done and must be accomplished to protect students.

State and local law enforcement and public schools are seeking rapid and proactive security strategies which enable increased collaboration between city officials, security leaders, law enforcement and first responders. The goal: keeping school campuses and communities safe. When this goal is strategically combined with today’s smart technologies the result is an integrated threat response solution with the sole purpose of rendering a safe environment.

To facilitate a streamlined buying process of these technologies, contract vehicles such as GSA’s Cooperative Purchasing Program and the California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS) are enabling state and local agencies immediate access to these products and solutions while simultaneously abiding by contract terms and conditions.

Through the Cooperative Purchasing Program, GSA Schedules 70 and 84 vendors for Information Technology and Homeland Security products/services respectively, provide today’s law enforcement and city/county agencies with much needed technology. Such technology includes: Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, shot-detection sensors, access control, surveillance/video cameras, data analytics, mobile devices, cloud based storage, data management and other relevant IT and security systems.

Vendors qualified under the California Multiple Award Schedules (CMAS) program are able to bypass traditional procurement methods by offering such pre-approved product/service solutions at pre-negotiated prices.

“It’s critical that our public agencies like school districts have access to solve their problems effectively with true partners and not just bidders,” comments Jason Eatmon, VP & Principal of Development Group, Inc. in Redding, CA. “Furthermore, districts are under pressure to provide solutions quickly and affordably. CMAS empowers them to do just that. Through CMAS, DGI has been able to immerse ourselves into the true needs of our customers and provide essential and meaningful solutions to our customers that are both effective and affordable.”

Through the GSA and CMAS procurement vehicles vendors are able to quickly offer innovative and intelligent technologies which build a high level of situational awareness to enhance safety in today’s most critical environments. When time is of the essence vendors and government decision makers need contract vehicles like GSA and CMAS more than ever.

To discuss how your company can help build safer schools and communities through a GSA and/or CMAS contract – contact ClearCoast.

assisting you with your government contracting needs

GSA Introduces New CALC Tool: Accurate or Subjective Pricing Data?

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The General Services Administration has launched a new tool to make it easier for agencies to figure out the hourly rates for various labor categories. But, what does this really mean to contractors?

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GSA improves schedules program

GSA Improves Schedules Program

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The General Services Administration is changing regulations that may make the Multiple Award Schedule program run more smoothly for contractors and agencies, according to The GSA Blog.

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GSA General Services Administration building

Introducing the New GSA Professional Services Schedule

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As one of several professional services category initiatives, GSA announced in September 2014 its intention to consolidate Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) service offerings over the next year under the new Professional Services Schedule (PSS).

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